PRESS RELEASE | FOR IMMEDIATE CIRCULATION | YOUTUBE LINKS TO PSAs BELOW
Reggae & Soca PSA-Jingles to Raise 2020 Census Awareness Among Caribbean-Americans, African-Americans & Hispanics, Launched by Community Organizer Gerry Hopkin & Recording Artistes Joan Myers & Cheryl Vincent
Reggae & Soca PSA-Jingles to Raise 2020 Census Awareness Among Caribbean-Americans, African-Americans & Hispanics, Launched by Community Organizer Gerry Hopkin & Recording Artistes Joan Myers & Cheryl Vincent
Brooklyn, NYC; Aug. 10, 2020 — Branded as products of the “Let’s All Get Counted 2020 Census Awareness Initiative,” two lyrically loaded and musically engaging public service announcements — one soca, the other reggae, were launched at a forum, Afterwork Networking Wednesdays in Brooklyn, on Wednesday, July 29th.
The two PSAs (jingle-songs) are intended to increase awareness of the importance of completing the Census. They constitute the musical part of a broader outreach under the theme mentioned above. The other parts involve the staging of forums (one already held) with elected officials and other community leaders, and messaging via posters, flyers, radio, TV, social media, phone-banking and canvassing (campaign style).
The initiative was conceived of by community organizer and consultant, Gerry Hopkin, JD, as an effort to do something positive and remedial about the very low rate of response to the Census Bureau’s appeals and requests for everyone alive in America, regardless of immigration status, to be accounted for in the 2020 Census enrollment process.
Non-Response to Census = Negative Consequences
People’s failure to complete the Census — which only happens every 10 years and which we are currently behind on, with Brooklyn trailing the other four boroughs — can result in major hardships for our people, especially for Caribbean-Americans, for other immigrants, and for African Americans.
The hardships and setbacks could occur in the form of significant underfunding of local community programs in education, healthcare, housing, road and bridge maintenance and general infrastructural development — all of which are needed to in order for states and cities to take care of their most vulnerable citizens and residents — our working class families.
A community’s failure to be fully enrolled, can also result in redistricting and loss of representation in Government.
Caribbean-Americans & African-Americans Targeted
The PSAs are meant for everyone, but they especially target African-Americans, Caribbean-Americans and immigrants in general.
The two versatile and well-respected artistes involved in this project thus far, are Cheryl Vincent (aka Cheryl V), who sings the soca PSA, entitled “Get Counted,” and Joan Myers, who sings a reggae PSA, “All About Us.”
When Cheryl is not using her beautiful voice to sing as a solo artiste or as a member of the folk group Quake USA Cultural Organization, she can be found caring for patients as a registered nurse at Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn or functioning as a co-host of Afterwork Networking Wednesdays in Brooklyn. And similarly, when Joan is not using her immaculate voice as a solo gospel singer or in her community chorale, Voices 4 Jesus, she runs JAM Music Ministry, works as the Financial Controller of St. Michael’s Episcopal Church in Orlando, Florida, and is the coordinator and co-host of Power Lunch Connection, a lunch hour networking event, which brings together business persons in an environment where non-profit community development ideas are addressed. Joan is also trained in Church administration and internal policymaking.
The arranger, co-producer and studio engineer who worked on Cheryl’s PSA, is Carol Hodge; while Benjy Mystro Myaz functioned as composer and producer of Joan’s PSA, which was written by Joan, Benjy and Gerry.
Additionally, the two attached videos were produced by Joan and Gerry, while the executive producer of the two PSAs, is Gerry Hopkin.
Kompa, Hip Hop & Bachata PSAs to Follow
Currently, negotiations are ongoing to engage additional artistes who sing Kompa, Hip Hop and Bachata, so that similar PSAs in these other equally beautiful beats, and using Creole and Spanish, can be subsequently produced and released, as we continue working on our outreach to ensure that everyone, to the last of us, is counted.
In addition to raising awareness, the PSAs also deliberately call on at least one person in every household, regardless of their immigration status, to complete the Census by going to MY2020CENSUS.GOV, or by calling 800-932-8282, or by completing the form which they received from the post Office.
Time is of the Essence
Unfortunately, it was announced on Monday, August 3rd, that the Census Bureau is ending all counting efforts for the 2020 census on September 30, a month sooner than previously announced. As such, it is imperative that we all act immediately since time is of the essence.
The call to action is an urgent one. Please ensure that everyone in your household and in your neighborhood, is enrolled in the 2020 Census. This is the only way we shall ensure that our community will be able to get all of the federal assistance which we need and deserve, based on our large population, which is too often under-counted to the detriment of all of us.
“Together we are stronger, so let’s all get counted,” collectively say the Caribbean-American artistes Vincent (born-Grenadian) and Myers (born-Jamaican) and the executive producer of this initiative, Gerry Hopkin.
RideAlong Live on Facebook, Tropicalfete, Inc., a New York City community-based organization that promotes the preservation and development of Caribbean-American culture in the Diaspora, and the Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI), are partnering with Hopkin, Vincent and Myers in this Census Awareness Initiative, to help in getting the word out to the community, that completion of the 2020 Census is imperative for the good of everyone of us.
LINKS to the PSAs on YouTube:
1) https://youtu.be/eUFWqXD-4z0
2) https://youtu.be/ys3juCjgCDE
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CONTACT:
Gerry Hopkin, JD is a Community Organizer & Consultant in Brooklyn. He is also the Executive Producer of “Let’s All Get Counted | Census 2020 Awareness Initiative”
C: 347-350-4285 |
Gerry Hopkin, JD
Founder & CEO | Since 2003
Hopkins Consulting Group LLC
347-350-4285 | hopkinscg@gmail.com
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